USPS / Norbert Wu
Pacific Grove, California’s Norbert Wu created an illustration of a Great White Shark that will soon be posted on letters traveling all over the world. It’s one stamp in a series of five from the United States Postal Service. Typically, about 40,000 suggestions and designs for new stamps make their way to the USPS each year, with only 25 of them making the cut. This year, the Mako, the Hammerhead, the Whale Shark, the Thresher, and of course the Great White are now in that exclusive group.
Wu is a freelance photographer and filmmaker whose particular passions align with many marine issues. He is the only photographer to have been presented a Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship, a prestigious award in ocean conservation and outreach. The fellowship’s goal is to seek solutions to the problems that face our ocean, according to their website.
His words and photography have been featured in numerous books, films, and magazines, and he is the author of over 17 books on wildlife and photography. His work has been showcased at the American Museum of Natural History, the California Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. In addition, he was named “Outstanding Photographer of the Year” in 2004 by the North American Nature Photographers Association. It’s considered the highest honor a nature photographer can be given by their peers. Now he gets to add one more accomplishment to his resume.
Those who have been sharing the shark stamps on social media have been using the hashtag #sharkstamps. The stamp was released July 26 at a ceremony that was held at the Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY.
Photo: USPS
Photo: USPS / Norbert Wu
